Creative Dance as a Means of Growth and Development of Fundamental Motor Skills for Children in First Grades of Primary Schools in Greece

Abstract

Creative dance is currently an exceptional contemporary pedagogical and teaching approach which assists and supports significantly the harmonious kinetic development of individuals. Moreover, it is an amusing educational tool that contributes to the establishment of fundamental motor skills in fostering coordination, cooperation and team co-responsibility, psychomotor development and in the creation of a pleasant teaching environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an interventional program for the development of movement education, having as a central axis creative dance for children in 1 st and 2 nd grade of primary school. Thus, it focuses on developing and improving fundamental motor skills and related concepts of creative movement as far as it concerns space, time, flow, dynamics and relationships. Eighty students (Ν=80) of two primary schools in Thessaloniki, seven to nine years old, followed this interventional program for eight weeks  that included creative dance activities and traditional dances. For data collection and evaluation of motor skills of students, Ulrich 2000 test was employed. The results confirm the crucial role of the intervention program for the development of kinetic education - centered on the creative dance-in the development and improvement of fundamental motor transferable skills to young students.